Control for oil burners



J. L.. EREESE CONTROL FOR OIL BURNERS juy BS, Maw.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 1911-4 July w, 1949.

Filed Nov. l5, 1944 J. L.. BREESE CONTROL FOR OIL BURNERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 19, 1949 ori-ica f V 'coNjraoL Foa on. nUaNEas James L. Breese, Sante Fe, N. YMex.. assignonby mesne assignments, Santa Fe, N. Mex.,

Breese Burners, Inc.,

a corporation ot- Delaware Application November 18, 1944 Serial No.

3 Claims. v(Cl. 137-21) to an improvement in conpurpose to provide a control for use with liquid `fuel burners. purpose is to provide means for simulcontrolling the flow of liquid fuel to-an oil burner and the flow of -air for the burner. v

Another purpose is to provide means for delivering alarge volume of air to the burner while the burneris warming up, while holding the oil at pilot flow. *f

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims. The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view with Figure 2 is a plan view; Figure 3 is a, plan view with the upper portion My invention relates rols and has for one adaptable parts broken away;

y of the control removed;

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the control;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 and Figure 6 is a section through a burner illustrating the control in side elevation.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring l indicates an outer housing of Figure 4;

therebetween tion having pot shown having a plurality of primary air inlets l located at various levels and an upper row of secondary air inlets ll. I2 is any suitable centrally apertured fiamering. The bottom of the pot is indicated as at I3. Alignedwith the bottom of the pot is a fan i4 adapted to be rotated by any suitable motor l mounted shown as secured to the partition 5. any suitable conductive connections for the fan. 20 generally indicates any suitable oat valve assembly. the details which of themselves do not form part of the present invention. It may'include a oat 2l responsive to the level of fuel within the housing 20 and controlling any suitable incontrolling to the o'at chamber or housing 2li any suitable supplemental or safety iloat, conalong the duct 20a. 22 is combustion, to

trolling a valve actuating lever 23. 24 is an external knob or control element adapted to control the rate of liquid fuel along the duct 25 from the interior of the float chamber 20 to the bottom I3 o1' the pot 1. 28 is an independent valve actuating element or button, adapted independentlyto control the valve structure, not herein shown in ample by any suitable screws 30. The top of the housing 28y may be enclosed by the upper housing member 3| which may be removably held in position by the screws 32 with upper knurled ends 33. The housing 3l includes a top portion 34 in which is mounted any suitable rheostat coil 35. 36 is 'a rotatably mounted rheostat contact in the form v upon the top 34 ofthe housing 3|. The rheostat '35 is in circuit, through any suitable conductive connections. Il, with the tact 36 is actually mounted on the insulating sleeve or hub 40 which has a central downward socket 4l surrounding the screw end 42. It will be understood that thel socket and screw are so formed as to prevent relative rotation ofthe two. Thus as the knob 31 is rotated the screw 42 is also rotated. The screw f downwardly from the plate 43 and penetrates an on a plate or support "I6 I l indicates I aperture 48 in the lever 2'l.` The -inner end of the lever 2'l abuts against the adjustable wire 50 one end of whichlis pivoted at 5l the slot 52, but cannot be unintentionally moved. It will be understood that as the wire is moved. the distance between that portion of the wire 5l is rotatable in the plate particular iioat amasar the members 38 and Il. l0

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my' invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as 20 follows:

My control is shown as used in connection with a liquid fuel burner in which the liquid fuel is controllably supplied to the burner and in v which the rate of air flow to the burner is con- 25 trolled in relation to variations in the rate of liquid fuel ilow to the burner. This combined control is obtained by the employment of a single control knob 31 which actuates at the same time the rheostat contact 36 which controls the 30 air supplying motor, and the valve controlling lever 21. The parts are so proportioned that when the lever 21 moves from low fire toward or to high re position, the resistance of the rheostat in the motor circuit is reduced and the speed 35 of the motor I5 is correspondingly increased, causing the air flow produced by the fan il to increase progressively as the rate of fuel now is increased. Similarly, the fan speed is decreased as the rate of flow of along the duct 25 is decreased. Asl the control box 28, 3|, and its contents, may be applied to different sizes and types of float valve control,

it is importantthat the travel of the valve controlling lever 21 be adjusted to suit the particu- 45 lar float valve assembly to which the controlbox is applied. It is customary in such oat valve assemblies to provide an upwardly extending valve controlling button or abutment, such as is shown at 2B. But the vary in different types, makes or sizes of iioat' valve assemblies. I therefore provide ecientmeans for varying the travel of the lever 21, and thus of the valve control button element 28, in

response to a predetermined movement of the 55 knob 31 and of the rheostat contact 3B in relation to the rheostat resistance or coil $5. I obtain this result by providing a movable lever pivot in the form of the wire il which is pivoted at one end and which has its opposite free end, 90

with its bend 53. aligned with a slot in the side' wall of the control box member 2l. Thus the device may readily be set, by inserting a wire or point through the slot, but it cannot readily be d5 unintentionally moved. For example, in anyf valve assembly, it is desirable that a movement of the pointer 38 from zero, in Figure 2, to 100, be accompanied by a progremive movement of the lever 21. If zero indicates minimum rheostat resistance then, when are in the position shown in Figure 2, the lever 21 is raised to the maximum fuel ow position.

But as the pointer 38 is moved to the maximum resistance position, cutting the entire rheostat con into the motor circuit, then the lever 21 is 1 fuel to the burner i0` travel of the button may. 50'

the parts 7 progressively moved. by rotation of the knob I1, to the low flow or fully depressed position in which the valve control element 26 is moved to reduce the fuel ow to the minimum or pilot ra e.

It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for switching or snorting out the rheostat, when the burner is being started. I do not illustrate such a switch since it does of itself form no part of the lpresent invention. However, in starting with a cold burner it may be desirable to turn the knob 38 to the fuel flow position to provide a suiiicient initial supply of l liquid fuel in the burner or pot. This involves also turning the rheostat up to full. After the burner is lighted, and during burning oiI the initial supply of fuel the knob 31 may be turned back to the low flow position. However at that.

time a large, or maximum supply of air may be desirable, in order to burn off the excess fuel. Any suitable switch means may be provided for, shorting or switching out the rheostat until the pot or burner is ready for normal operation. Thereafter the relation between the rheostat and the valve controliis as shown herein and described above. Such a switch means may be manually operated.

I claim: y

l. In a control device for liquid fuel burners, a. chamber, a delivery duct extending therefrom, means for controllably varying the rate of flow of liquid fuel from the chamber along said delivery duct, including a manually operable valve control, an additional and independently operable valve control for varying said rate of flow, a rheostat including a coil and a movable contact therefor, unitary means for actuating said independent valve control and said rheostat contact, including a. manual control element, an actuating connection between it and the rheostat contact, a valve actuating lever and an actuating connection between said lever and said manual control element, and means for varying the effective travel of said lever in response to ,a predetermined movement of said manual control element, including an abutment, yielding means for normally urging said lever toward said abutment, a pivot element interposed between said lever and said abutment, and means for moving said pivot element.

2. In a control device for liquid fuel burners, a chamber, a delivery duct extending therefrom, means for controllably varying the rate of flow of liquid fuel from the chamber along said delivery duct, including a manually operable valve contherefor, means'for simultaneously moving said rheostat contact and said control lever, including a manual handle, a hub, movable unitarily therewith, on which the rheostat contact is mounted, an abutment in which a screw threaded element is rotatably positioned, said element being free to move axially in relation to said hub but interpenetrating therewith in rotation preventing relationship, 'and an actuating connection between said screw threaded element and said control lever.

3. In a control device for liquid fuel burners, a chamber, a delivery duct extending therefrom, means for controllably varying the rate of flow of liquid fuel from the chamber along saiddelivery duct, including a manually operable valve control, an additional and independently operable valve control for varying said rate of flow, said independent valve control including a valve op' @rating abutment, a control lever adapted for operating engagement with said abutment, a rheostat including a coil and a movable contact therefor, means for simultaneously moving said rheostat contact and said control lever, including a manual handle, a hub, movable unitarily therewith, on which the rheostat contact is mounted, an abutment in which a screw threaded element is rotatably positioned, said element being freeto move axially in relation to said hub but interpenetrating therewith in rotation preventing relationship, an actuating connection between said screw threaded element and said control lever, and means for varying the pivot point of said lever and for thereby varying the movement of said lever in response to a predetermined rotation of said screw threaded element.

JAMES L. BREESE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Thunderbolt Sept. 8, 1896 Limpp Apr. 15, 1919 Schermuly Jan. 3, 1928 Howard Jan. 3, 1933 Goldeld May 19, 1936 Hann Oct. 1l, 1938 Robinson July 16, 1940 Schueder Jan. 6, 1942 Breese Jan. 6, 1942 Landon Mar. 27, 1945 

